Trick or Treat
Good and Gracious God, may we remember to love you with all of our heart, soul, and mind, may we also remember to love our neighbors as ourselves, in the name of the creator, redeemer, and comforter. Amen.
My daughter, Glyn, has a favorite prayer from the Scottish tradition. It seems an appropriate way to start today. From ghoulies and ghosties. And long-leggedy beasties. And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us! Amen.
Next weekend combines All Hallow’s Eve, which we call Halloween, and the feast of All Saint’s Day on Sunday. They both are Christian holidays.
Let me repeat that.
They are both Christian holidays.
Regardless of that social media post you saw or that story your well-meaning neighbor shared about paganism, the All Hallows Eve Vigil and All Hallows Day were placed into the Christian tradition in the 7th Century by Pope Boniface IV. Hallow means ‘holy,’ so we are celebrating the holy people who have gone before us.
Of course, remembering the dead is part of cultures across the world. Over the last several hundred years, this holy day has expanded as we welcome new believers and their native cultures. Originally celebrated in the summer, Día de los Muertos, the Days of the Dead, are an indigenous tradition that Mexican, South and Central American peoples have intermingled with the Christian traditions. The Irish tradition of Samhain and the German harvest festival counterpart both understood that death was part of the cycle of life.
Is this important background knowledge? I think so. In a world that easily can be tricked by false information, it’s important to share our own faith calmly and listen actively. Halloween is not a day that encourages evil or corrupts individuals. Instead, it reminds us that death is simply a part of the cycle of life.
Halloween and All Saint’s day are indeed reminders that we are all called to be holy people. But there’s another reason I started this sermon with Halloween. It’s because Halloween gives us the all-important tagline that directly ties back to the Gospel today.
Here it is:
“Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat.”
Embedded in this sing-song chant is the wisdom of children. In it, we find a strategy that is a match for the tricks of the Pharisees.
In previous stories, Jesus has outwitted the Temple scribes, the Sadducees, the Herodians who visited him, and today he banters with the Pharisees. Jesus, who has no home of his own and no steady salary, has outplayed all the major priestly aristocrats with his knowledge of Scripture. It is obvious that a game show approach of winner-take-all with Jesus is too high stakes to continue to play.
The Pharisees realize Jesus speaks with Authority they lack and they become afraid. The Scripture says, “No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.”
Unfortunately, we are often paralyzed with that same fear as the Pharisees. Instead of daring to question our God about injustice and hard topics, we turn away from faith. We have a vision of God that is too small; the abundant treats our world holds are hidden from us by the masks we wear each day.
Children don’t have that filter. They ask for what they want. Embedded in the Trick or Treat chant is a request, a dare, and a consequence. Kids are blunt in their expression of needs, and we could learn something from them. Let’s look at that children’s verse.
Trick or Treat. Implicit in the first part of this that is uttered when young children pretend to be superheroes, ghosts, dinosaurs or adorable kittens is an uncomfortable consequence of our choices. Do you give out free candy or risk a trick later on?
Jesus actually gives everyone the treat first, reminding the assembled that a richer life comes when we love our God and our neighbor as ourselves. Such gratitude provides a model of abundance, both in life and in faith. Still, the Pharisees try to trick Christ, more interested in their societal status than the idea of sharing the gifts we have in our possession. Jesus is tired of the tricks, and gives a paradoxical answer to the rote motions of the Pharisees. They incur a consequence because they do not dare to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Smell my feet. There’s a dare if I ever saw one. While the odor of smelly socks may seem to be a weak threat, there are times when I’ve thought gloves might be helpful when clearing out a gym bag at the end of a school semester or the end of a sports season. Phew! In comparison, Jesus, who dealt with the filth and human waste and the smell of decay as he was crucified at Golgotha, has the ability to deal with outrageously smelly situations if we just ask. Dare to ask Jesus for what you need, and place your trust in Him.
Give me something good to eat. That request for gifts is pretty clear to me, both as a parent and as a Christian. It’s implied that we should feed others when Jesus asks us to Love our neighbors as ourselves. The powerful in this Gospel and those from the last few weeks see generosity to the poor as a sign of weakness. Jesus sees it as strength to love our neighbor. Giving candy to kids is easy, but when we operate from a sense of gratitude, it impacts our mission here at Trinity Muscatine. Where is Christ calling you to give joyfully to others in your life?
Our world is filled with consequences, dares, and gifts. All of these are things that we don’t necessarily deserve, but that come to us as human beings. As we remember the holy saints of God who have passed ahead of us, let us be aware of both our human frailties and our human possibility. Jesus asks us to live and love both ourselves and our neighbor and in that we find the greatest possible treat: that we ourselves are living hallows in which the Spirit of God can dwell.
Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Amen.
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